In 2009, a delegation of Canada World Youth participants from Canada and Ukraine spent three months in the Alberni Valley working on service projects, staying with host families and getting to know the community.
Now, 13 years later, some of the Canadian delegates will return to host a Ukrainian cultural night fundraiser in honour of their Ukrainian counterparts.
The arrival of 18 delegatesB次元官网网址攏ine from the Ukraine, nine from across CanadaB次元官网网址攎arked the first time in seven years that Canada World Youth had a presence in the Alberni Valley. The delegates ranged in age from 17 to 21 years, and had already spent three months in Ostroh, western Ukraine by the time they arrived in Port Alberni.
Some of the group stayed in touch over the years while others moved on. The war between Russia and Ukraine reunited the CWY members via an online group chat.
Nicolas Rivard said he had been following news of the conflict for a few weeks. B次元官网网址淚t affected me a lot more than I thought it would,B次元官网网址� he said from his home in Montreal. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a big part of my life. It was a long time ago but I was very youngB次元官网网址t was a very formative experience.B次元官网网址�
Rivard taught English to Ostroh university students who were the same age as he was at the time. When in Port Alberni he volunteered at Abbeyfield House.
A recent video chat with some of their Ukraine counterparts was emotional. B次元官网网址淲e feel powerless because we canB次元官网网址檛 do much from here,B次元官网网址� Rivard said.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of unfortunate that it took this war to rekindle these relationships,B次元官网网址� said Ben Scheidegger, one of the Canadian participants now living in Vancouver. He said itB次元官网网址檚 difficult to put into words how he feels about what is happening in Ukraine right now.
Like Rivard, Scheidegger said it has affected him more than he expected.
B次元官网网址淭o get messages from my friends who I went to this program with that B次元官网网址榳eB次元官网网址檙e hiding in basements, weB次元官网网址檙e fleeing the city, weB次元官网网址檙e getting bombedB次元官网网址橞次元官网网址tB次元官网网址檚 hard to hear.B次元官网网址�
The four CWY members who are still in B.C.B次元官网网址攊n Williams Lake, Vancouver, Nanaimo and CourtenayB次元官网网址攚ant to recreate the Ukrainian Cultural Night they held back in 2009. They have planned a fundraising dinner for Saturday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Kinsmen Community Centre.
B次元官网网址淲e did a very similar event 13 years ago when we were in Port Alberni,B次元官网网址� Scheidegger said. B次元官网网址淚t was mostly for host families and people we were close with.B次元官网网址�
The 2022 event wonB次元官网网址檛 be as elaborate as that night, said Scheidegger, but it will include some Ukrainian food and music, possibly some dancing, and a presentation on the exchange program that brought people from all over Canada and Ukraine to Port Alberni.
Scheidegger is hoping to be able to share a video with messages from some of the Ukrainian delegates, but notes it may be difficult for them to get those messages out depending on their circumstances.
Community members in the Alberni Valley are assisting the former CWY members, from donations of the hall rental to food.
The Ukrainian Solidarity Dinner will take place Saturday, March 19 at 5:30 p.m. in the Kinsmen Community Centre, #30-4090 Hollywood St., at the Alberni District Fall Fairgrounds. Entry is by donation to either the Canada-Ukraine Foundation or Ukrainian World Congress, and donations may be made by using a Smart phone. People interested in attending are asked to register through their EventBrite link, .
Organizers chose this method for making donations because they arenB次元官网网址檛 a charitable organization, they are 10 people who want to make a difference, however small it may be, Scheidegger said.
B次元官网网址淔or the 10 of us, we want to maybe make our friends smile for five minutes and know weB次元官网网址檙e there with them as much as we can be.B次元官网网址�
